Zoetica Talks: Formerly Communication Overtoneshttp://www.zoeticamedia.com
Exploring how public relations can find an authentic voice in today's social media.Mon, 22 Oct 2018 11:01:44 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8http://www.zoeticamedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/cropped-zoetica_square-32x32.pngZoetica Mediahttp://www.zoeticamedia.com
3232Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with FeedlySubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with Daily RotationCommunication Overtones explores how public relations can find an authentic voice in today's social media.Personal branding tips for professionalshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CommunicationOvertones/~3/seZ3L8cAXRc/personal-branding-tips-for-professionals
http://www.zoeticamedia.com/personal-branding-tips-for-professionals#respondThu, 11 Oct 2018 16:43:39 +0000http://www.zoeticamedia.com/?p=2742Sometimes, just having a day job isn’t enough, especially when competition is tough and it’s hard to stand out in the job market. That’s why many people often turn to personal branding as a supplement – but how exactly can you handle two jobs at once? We have put together these personal branding tips forread more...

Sometimes, just having a day job isn’t enough, especially when competition is tough and it’s hard to stand out in the job market. That’s why many people often turn to personal branding as a supplement – but how exactly can you handle two jobs at once? We have put together these personal branding tips for professionals to help you build your brand and make an impression at your job.

Mila Clarke Buckley, who works as the Assistant Director of Digital Communications at Baker-Ripley and runs a blog known as the Hangry Woman, answered these questions and offered her tips and advice for growing a personal brand while maintaining your day job.

Finding Your Voice on Social Media

After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Buckley realized that there were no articles available on Google that talked about the topic from real people – most were written by organizations. She also realized that she needed something to help her stand out in the job market after she was released from her last job, and crafting a personal brand seemed like the perfect idea.

“When I found out I was a Type 2 diabetic, I came home and googled all I could. Most of the articles came from @AmDiabetesAssn but none were from real people. That inspired me to write about my journey.” @thehangrywoman#SMBhou

Like Mila, look for a gap in current coverage on a topic that you can bring your own unique point of view. Mila hadn’t been getting much traction in social media until she honed in on her very relatable journey with type 2 diabetes.

6 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand and Keep Your Job

Although her boss was very open to the concept of her creating her personal brand, others may not be so welcoming. Here are the steps that Buckley recommends that you take to start building your personal brand while also working a day job.

Get Your Boss on Board. Explain your idea to your boss and assure him or her that, explaining that it won’t impact your work ethic or job performance, and that it will ultimately help both you and the company. Sometimes, testing certain ideas out with your personal brand can help you realize what works and what doesn’t – and you can use this knowledge to benefit the company.

Once Build Your Following. Focus on your boss is on board, you should start off by focusing on getting building a following on your social media accounts. You can primarily focus on building one social media platform over others, but a certain platform, but neglecting other ones isn’t a good idea – it’s better to have a variety of options and audiences that you can reach out to.

Get Organized. When it comes to maintaining a brand and a day job, it’s essential to focus on planning and organizational tactics. Buckley uses pre-scheduled posts, usually sits down every weekend to write her articles/posts, and then releases them throughout the week.
Writing down your ideas first, then planning them out on Google Drive can help with organization. It can also be helpful to create a monthly content calendar with basic outlines and ideas of what you’re planning to talk about.

.@thehangrywoman mentions using SproutSocial, WordPress, and Todoist. (I LOVE Todoist!! I've been using it for years.) #smbhou

Let Data Shape Your Strategy. When maintaining social media accounts, looking at insights (which Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook offer natively) can help you figure out when your followers are the most active and engaged. Buckley finds that she gets the most responses and interaction at night and usually posts around 8 or 9pm, but it’s important to test things out to see what times work best for you.
5. Add the Location. Make sure to add a geotag and tag any accounts related to your Instagram post in the picture.
6. Use Engagement Tactics. Also try to write lively, interesting captions, or ask questions in your caption to encourage comments and responses. Using lots of hashtags can help you segment your content into specific areas and make it more likely for people to discover your posts.

Build Meaningful Connections

Posting on social media isn’t all about creating opportunities, it’s also about taking what you’re doing in your daily life and documenting those experiences. Most of Buckley’s pictures are taken from an iPhone camera and she edits them using an app called A Color Story, which allows her to change up her the color of her feed seasonally.

However, online interaction isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to building a personal brand. Meeting and connecting with people in real life can form meaningful connections and lead to a deeper sense of community.

Vlogging your life and what you’re up to, which Buckley does using Instagram stories, can add a personal touch to your account and create a sense of authenticity – so more people are attracted to your account.

“In the beginning, I focused on my content calendar. I now post three times a week.I really started using Instagram stories, showing the behind-the-scenes and letting people get to know me.” @thehangrywoman on gaining traction when starting out #SMBhou

]]>http://www.zoeticamedia.com/personal-branding-tips-for-professionals/feed0http://www.zoeticamedia.com/personal-branding-tips-for-professionalsThe Secret Instagram Feature Hidden in IGTV Video – Ep 106http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CommunicationOvertones/~3/CMir8KdlHhc/the-secret-instagram-feature-hidden-in-igtv-video-ep-106
http://www.zoeticamedia.com/the-secret-instagram-feature-hidden-in-igtv-video-ep-106#commentsSun, 23 Sep 2018 22:27:53 +0000http://www.zoeticamedia.com/?p=2736 Did you know about the secret hidden feature in IGTV? 📺We cover that and all the latest updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Snapchat. And all in less than 5 minutes. Let’s get started. Also, be sure to leave your questions about social media marketing in the comments section so that weread more...

Did you know about the secret hidden feature in IGTV? We cover that and all the latest updates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Snapchat. And all in less than 5 minutes. Let’s get started. Also, be sure to leave your questions about social media marketing in the comments section so that we can feature you on the next episode of Keeping Up With Kamichat!

This Week’s Question:

Do Instagram hashtags have any effect if you use them in your IGTV caption updates?

The short answer is yes, you can add 30 hashtags to your IGTV caption. Your IGTV video will appear in the stream of all of the hashtags you use, potentially broadening your reach. We recommend using all 30 hashtags and making them specific and also using a branded hashtag that your followers can monitor to get updates to your IGTV channel. You can follow our branded channel at #KUKamichat. Also, be sure that you have a good thumbnail (We link to a great resource below in the Instagram section to make sure your thumbnail will look great wherever it appears on Instagram).

This wasn’t part of the question, but another hack for your IGTV caption is that you can add a link that allows people to click out of Instagram and to your website. You may have landed here from our IGTV channel, Keeping Up With Kamichat. If you did, be sure to leave a comment and say, hello. This is a secret Instagram feature hidden in IGTV, and unlike the swipe up feature in stories, you don’t have to have 10,000 followers to get this feature as we write this post in 2018.

If you have a question for Keeping Up With Kamichat about anything related to social media, add it to the comments below, or click over to the contact page and send us an email. If we don’t know the answer, we will find it for you and answer your question on Keeping Up With Kamichat.

Instagram

Testing Tagging in Videos

Instagram is testing a feature to allow users to tag their friends in their video posts. TechCrunch learned about this test this past week and Instagram confirmed it. The feature would add a button that links to a list called “People in this Video.” This test is only on mobile and only with a very small selection of users. No word on if or when it would roll out to everyone.

Bummer: A dark emo filter called with black leaves falling against a melancholy soundtrack

Surprise: A suspenseful soundtrack and blackout of objects

TV Show: Pink Stars

Beats: Hip-hop beats with music

Dramatic: Music with slow zoom in

Bounce: Bouncing in and out to closeup

Bonus Content

Parent’s Guide to InstagramDownload the parent’s guide to Instagram, which walks parents through how to use some of the safety features of Instagram.

Get step-by-step instructions to make an IGTV ThumbnailCheck out this guide to make an IGTV thumbnail.

Facebook

Facebook Lite Expands

Facebook is adding its Community Help features into Facebook Lite. Community Help is an extension of Facebook’s Safety Check that launched in January 2017, allowing people to mark themselves “safe” in the wake of disasters, and become a hub where people can ask for, receive, and give help. Facebook Lite is an android app initially created for use on older phones and in developing countries and works in 2G conditions.

Twitter

Twitter is Redesigning Its Desktop

Twitter is testing new features for desktop: bookmarks & data saver, plus night mode. Some of these features have been available on mobile for a while. According to Twitter expert Madalyn Sklar, Twitter is also moving your live stream video to the top of the feed for people who follow you. Be sure to check out her recent IGTV episode for more details.

Twitter Audio-Only Broadcasts

Camera shy but still have something to say?

Twitter is launching a new feature that allows users to create audio-only broadcasts directly from Twitter, as well as Twitter’s Periscope. The feature, which Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey confirmed in a tweet this morning, is available from the same interface where you would normally launch live video. It’s currently accessible on the Twitter for iOS app, as well as on Periscope.

Snap is launching “Curate Our Stories” a new feature that will let a group of 26 media companies access public posts made by Snapchat users and package them into editions centering on live events, breaking news and other topics similar to Twitter’s Moments product. Snap currently produces Our Stories, with 75 million watching in the past month. No idea if this feature will be released to the general public, but it could be a good way to get featured by one of these news organizations. PR on snapchat, who knew.

Upcoming news or promos

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down to talk with Mila Buckley. Mila is @thehangrywoman on Instagram and other social media platforms and publishes the blog, Houston Hangry Woman, focusing on food and fashion. In addition to working for Baker Ripley, a large community-based nonprofit here in Houston, she has built a strong personal brand around the Hangry Women talking about living life well as a Type 2 diabetic.

]]>http://www.zoeticamedia.com/the-secret-instagram-feature-hidden-in-igtv-video-ep-106/feed1http://www.zoeticamedia.com/the-secret-instagram-feature-hidden-in-igtv-video-ep-106The Science of Instagram Hashtags – Ep 105http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CommunicationOvertones/~3/OT95wCfTvTY/the-science-of-instagram-hashtags-ep-105
http://www.zoeticamedia.com/the-science-of-instagram-hashtags-ep-105#commentsSun, 09 Sep 2018 23:52:58 +0000http://www.zoeticamedia.com/?p=2731Today on Keeping Up with Kamichat we look at hard data to answer the age-old question, Should you put Instagram hashtags in the body of the post or in the first comment, and how many should you use? We think we found the definitive answer, at least for now. And we also cover the latestread more...

Today on Keeping Up with Kamichat we look at hard data to answer the age-old question, Should you put Instagram hashtags in the body of the post or in the first comment, and how many should you use?

We think we found the definitive answer, at least for now. And we also cover the latest updates on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat.

This Week’s Question:

Instagram Hashtags. Should you put them in the body of the post or in the first comment, and how many should you use?

Answer

The short answer is that you should put them in the post and that you should use 30 relevant hashtags, and this time I have proof. Agora Pulse has a pretty awesome podcast called Social Media Lab, hosted by Scott Ayres and Richard Beeson. They tested Instagram hashtag performance with some pretty impressive tests. Using 30 hashtags increases likes while adding hashtags in your posts gives you a little extra reach (due to the time issue for getting your post in the hashtag stream). Check the show notes for the hard proof if you are still doubting.

Facebook

Pew Research released results from two new polls of roughly 5,00 Facebook users. 44% of people aged 18-24 said they deleted the Facebook app last year and 64% have adjusted their privacy settings in order to impact what they see in their feeds, including ads.

Twitter

Twitter is thinking of adding features to make the platform more conversational. Last week Twitter product developer Sara Haider (https://about.me/pandemona) asked her Twitter followers about two potential new features, including threaded replies and something called “presence” that would let you know when people you are connected with are active on the platform. The second feature caused some concern. People feel the feature might be a safety issue, allowing stalkers and bullies to more easily find people they are harassing.

hey Twitter. we've been playing with some rough features to make it feel more conversational here. presence and reply threading. still early and iterating on these ideas. thoughts? pic.twitter.com/3U3NvpHWPy

YouTube

YouTube’s time watched feature is now live on both iOS and Android apps. Just tap on your account icon and then on the Time Watched menu item. You can also change your settings to get a reminder to take a break.

Snapchat

New bounce video editing feature that allows you to playback and loop any portion of your snaps. Also, messages can now be kept for 24 hours instead of instantly deleting them. Here is a link to an article with instructions about how to use these new Snapchat features.

Also, Snapchat announced its new styles of Spectacles, Nico and Veronica, its hands-free cameras built into sunglasses. They can capture up to 70 videos and hundreds of photos. They cost $199 and come with a charging cable instead of a charging case this time. You can order them online or at Neiman Marcus. Do you think these will be a hit or a flop?

]]>http://www.zoeticamedia.com/the-science-of-instagram-hashtags-ep-105/feed1http://www.zoeticamedia.com/the-science-of-instagram-hashtags-ep-105What Are the Pros and Cons of IGTV – Keeping Up With Kamichat – Ep 104http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CommunicationOvertones/~3/O6G3FyF-VUk/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-igtv-keeping-up-with-kamichat-ep-104
http://www.zoeticamedia.com/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-igtv-keeping-up-with-kamichat-ep-104#respondTue, 04 Sep 2018 23:50:51 +0000http://www.zoeticamedia.com/?p=2725 What are the Pros and Cons of Using IGTV in your marketing strategy? This week’s question is from Andrea Nicole Long: Andreanicolelong87 Thanks again for the wonderful information! I’d love to hear your pros and cons so far in regards to IGTV. Here is a chart of the pros and cons of IGTV thatread more...

Thanks again for the wonderful information! I’d love to hear your pros and cons so far in regards to IGTV.

Here is a chart of the pros and cons of IGTV that we have discovered after using the feature for about two months now. Leave your own thoughts in the comments of this post.

PROS

CONS

It’s easy to use

Editing vertical video with good production values is harder. We talked about the tools we are using in Episode 102

You can upload your IGTV episodes to Facebook seamlessly

Unfortunately, the watch stats for each platform are separated and you will have to add them up (EXTRA: Facebook is performing better for me right now than Instagram)

There is a link for each of your episodes. Go to Instagram.com, click on your profile, then click on the IGTV navigation, then the episode you want to share. Copy and paste the link from the navigation bar. (PS. You can also upload episodes and your thumbnail here)

When IGTV lanched, you could click on the three dots and get an embed code. That was removed pretty quickly. You can still get an embed code from the Facebook post though.

Instagram has three features to promote your episode:

Swipe up in stories

Notification bar at the top of the mobile app

Carousel cards in the mobile app

Some users are complaining that these features are annoying, so we will see how long they last.

IGTV Creator’s Handbook

Instagram has created an IGTV Creator’s Handbook that goes over the basics of putting together an IGTV episode. Click on the link above to check it out.

Social Media Roundup for this Week (August 27-September 3)

All of the networks are slugging it out for more growth and have added a number of new features in the past few weeks. Here are the ones most interesting for communicators, inclusing social media marketers and public relations professionals.

Instagram

Instagram continues to boom, especially its Stories feature, with 400 million daily users. Facebook Stories are now twice as popular as Snapchat stories, Advertisers are following along, with ad spending growing four times faster than Facebook.

About this Account – Learn more about large accounts in their Instagram profile. Tap the menu and select “About This Account.” There, you will see the date the account joined Instagram, the country where the account is located, accounts with shared followers, any username changes in the last year and any ads the account is currently running.

Verification – Celebrities, public figures, and other notable accounts can also now apply to have their accounts verified. To request verification, go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select “Settings” at the bottom and then choose “Request Verification.” You will need to provide your account username, your full name and a copy of your legal or business identification. This information will not be shared publicly.

College Virtual Communities

Instagram hopes to lure more college students to the platform with a feature that makes it easy to connect with classmates. The company, which is owned by Facebook, confirmed on Friday that it is testing a tool that allows students to join a virtual community of peers and exchange direct messages with them. This test came four days after dating app Tinder rolled out Tinder U, an iOS-only feature that allows users to limit their search to classmates or nearby campuses.

Facebook

Watch Party in Groups

Facebook now allows you to create a realtime Watch Party in your group with videos that have been already shared on your’s or other’s business pages. You can’t upload a new video in the playlist, only ones that have already been posted to a page. Click Watch Party when you are making an update and add videos. People will be notified, and you can add more videos, even once it is started. If the admin of the Watch Party closes the tab it will end the watch party, so be aware. You can then watch and comment with a group in real time.

Facebook is testing a things in common label to indicate what you have in common with people whom you are connected with.

Talent Show

Facebook is working on an idea called Talent Show which allows users to compete by singing popular songs then submitting their audition for review. The development would offer Facebook another way to take advantage of its more recently acquired music licensing rights. It is similar to Music.ly and other apps like Smule and could attract a younger audience.

Snapchat Fights to Stay Relevant

Ariana Grande’s ‘Sweetener’ Snapchat Lens

Ariana Grande’s Sweetener album merchandise is only available on Snapchat through a custom face Lens that reveals Grande’s new merchandise. Fans can try it on before actually buying it, and then purchase from the app. Sweetener is Grande’s fourth studio album and was released on Aug. 17. So far, the album is on track to be No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Linkedin

LinkedIn continues to make changes to its app.

New Group Experience Coming Up this Month

LinkedIn is relaunching its group experience to bring it back into the app more centrally. New LinkedIn group features will allow the group updates to appear in the notifications bar, but they are removing group moderation (temporarily) and the ability to send an email to the group once a month. As you can imagine, group admins from popular groups are not too pleased by this.

Ask For A Referral

LinkedIn launched an “Ask for a Referral” button next to job listings where you know people who work at the company. You can then send your connections a message through LinkedIn, asking them to recommend you for the job in question.

Bonus Content

Sales Navigator got a Refresh

Sales Navigator now integrates with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics (the CRM of its parent company) to provide managers and sales representatives with a more effective way to understand and manage their sales pipelines and add deal and contact information from their customer-relationship-management systems.

YouTube

Copyright Match Tool

YouTube is launching a new Copyright Match Tool to allow creators with more than 100K subscribers to track when other people upload your content. Creators can then request a takedown of pirated material directly from the tool.

YouTube Audio Library

YouTube has updated its YouTube Audio Library with new, copyright-safe songs that you can use in your YouTube videos. This resource is a free way to add some spice to your videos.

]]>http://www.zoeticamedia.com/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-igtv-keeping-up-with-kamichat-ep-104/feed0http://www.zoeticamedia.com/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-igtv-keeping-up-with-kamichat-ep-104How to Create Digital Content on Instagram that Popshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CommunicationOvertones/~3/kumKf9wSSZs/how-to-create-digital-content-that-pops
http://www.zoeticamedia.com/how-to-create-digital-content-that-pops#respondFri, 17 Aug 2018 17:59:45 +0000http://www.zoeticamedia.com/?p=2720Have you ever wondered about how you could take your social media presence to the next level and make your business boom? Kami Huyse, the founder of Zoetica Media, sat down with social media consultant and content creator Mike Metzler, @Mtzler on Instagram, to discuss tactics for making your business stand out and grab viewers’ attention.read more...

1. Make your posts engaging

Metzler recommended that brands include interactive features on their Instagram and Snapchat stories, such as instructing them to tap on the screen, slide up, etc. He also recommended adding special effects and background music to keep viewers’ interested and make their content really stand out. He said that posts should include both sound and captions to emphasize your point. The text should outline the main goals of your post, and the voice-over should provide additional details.

2. Shoot your footage, edit it, and THEN post

“I think the most important thing Mike said that really stood out to me is that you should do your story, and then find where you can chop it up into pieces and post it in increments that way, so you’re not overwhelming everybody all at one time,” attendee Rebecca Councill said. Metzler recommended that the best way to create content that “pops” is to shoot a lot of footage at an event, go back and edit it, and then gradually post it over a period of time. This can allow you to tweak parts of your story where necessary, and add sound, music, or captions to reiterate your main point.

4. Vertical storytelling is your friend

Metzler emphasized how the marketing industry has shifted from a “crafting” business to a “storytelling” one. Social media managers no longer just sit behind a screen and craft perfect Tweets or Instagram posts; instead, they are often on camera, constantly recording and speaking about their brand directly in front of a screen.

Vertical storytelling describes the process of using all of the space on a phone screen to tell a story in real time, which is an important tool in this digital age of communications.

5. Numbers and statistics are important

Finally, Metzler said that looking back at the views of your posts is crucial. Identifying the number of metric exists on your first and last frames can help determine where viewers’ interests diminish and help you decide on how to make your posts more engaging and attractive.

Metzler recommended thinking of each specific story as an “episode” and to gradually improve over time, looking at data and analytics to track metrics.